Well, in the minds of the little iguanas, everything bigger than him is going to eat him! He actually might be trying to run away and hide. No offense meant, just the nature of things. It is my understanding that the defensive behavior comes a little later when they have some size to stand their ground. Of course, the idea is to have worked with by then so they are a bit more socialized.

Yes, he can hurt himself by falling from the height of your head. How about keeping him in a smaller area when you take him out, like a bathroom? It might give him a bit more security in a smaller place, too (maybe).

To give you some confidence with him, check out the book Iguana for Dummies by Melissa Kaplan. It's a great manual, available at pet stores or maybe even the library.

As for eating, you just got the little guy, and he's being handled now when he probably wasn't at the pet store. Just offer the fresh food in little pieces and give him some time. Make sure he's hot enough to have a proper metabolism and he should come around if he's otherwise healthy.

I find iguanas to be rather high maintenance reptile pets for new keepers. Out of all the lizards I own (iguana, tegus, uromastyx, bearded dragons, amevia) the iguana and the uro are the pickiest when it comes to care. And it's a shame because they are cute and inexpensive at pet stores, which lures people in getting them. They are great, but a lot of work, in my opinion.

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